DUBAI // A Dubai-based businessman said yesterday that he had been wrongly suspected by Mumbai police of being involved in the murder of Bollywood starlet Laila Khan and five members of her family.
Speaking from Mumbai after he had been questioned by police, Vafi Khan said that they believed he was the actress's husband.
But Mr Khan, 23, claimed: "I have never met Laila Khan."
The bodies of Laila Khan, her mother, two sisters, a brother and a cousin, who went missing more than a year ago, were discovered on Tuesday buried in the grounds of a farmhouse 140km from Mumbai.
They had been led to the burial ground by Laila Khan's stepfather, Parvez Tak, who was arrested a few weeks ago.
In a press conference on Wednesday, police said the stepfather had confessed to the murders and that the mystery had been solved. After the press conference the police questioned Vafi Khan for 45 minutes.
"The police are trying to blame me. They said I was trying to take her to Dubai. I just don't know the lady," said Mr Khan.
The businessman is also known as "Sonu" by his family and he said he was suspected of being involved in the murders because, he claimed, another man by the name "Sonu" was known to the actress and her family.
"Coincidentally, a person called Sonu is involved in this case. I also think I am being framed because someone has a business rivalry with my father," he said.
He said his wife's name is Yasmine Khan, and that they had married last year. He added that he had provided police with the marriage certificate to prove it.
"My wife, Yasmine, is very upset by what is happening," he said.
Mr Khan said he left for Mumbai on Tuesday night after police contacted his father, Kamal Jadhwani, who was in India at the time, asking for Mr Khan. Mr Jadhwani is also a Dubai resident.
Indian media reported that Laila Khan's biological father, Nadir Patel, filed a complaint after she went missing in February last year.
Laila Khan, a Pakistani-born actress, is known for her role in the 2008 film Wafaa. Since her disappearance there had been speculation that she had moved to Dubai.
Mumbai police confirmed that they had questioned Vafi Khan.
"We are not sure if they are married," said Niket Kaushik, the additional commissioner of police, crime branch. "We contacted his family here and he appeared for questioning."
He added that Mr Khan had not been detained and that police were trying to establish whether he had any connection to the actress or the murders.
Yesterday, Mr Khan's father said the family was keen to clear his son's name.
"This is a case of mistaken identity. He has no contact with Laila Khan. It is a tough time for him. We are willing and ready to clarify everything," said Mr Jadhwani, who also runs a construction business in India.
Mr Khan said that he hoped his name would be cleared soon so that he could return to Dubai.
pkannan@thenational.ae
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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